Hyderabad: Though there have been a few cases of the novel coronavirus infecting animals, eight Asiatic lions testing positive for COVID-19 at Nehru Zoological Park here was the first of its kind in India.
A correspondent from ETV Bharat spoke to Dr Karthikeyan Vasudevan, scientist in charge at Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES) -- one of the only four labs in India dedicated to diagnosing COVID-19 in animals.
"We are aware that COVID-19 is a zoonotic disease. Several studies identified that the virus can be transmitted from humans to animals. The SARS-nCoV-2 is now coexisting with humans. Hence, there is a greater risk of infection to pets and wild animals alike," he said.
Also read: Lions at Hyderabad zoo test Covid positive
Speaking about the Hyderabad case, he said, "This is the first case of COVID-19 infection in animals. Such cases came to light in the US, Europe and Hong Kong earlier. In some countries, farmed minks died of the human variant of the virus. In some other countries, minks were killed to stop the transmission back to humans. Since we now have a case of corona-infected lions in India, we need to be twice as careful."
Vasudevan suggested closing zoos and wildlife sanctuaries for tourists to prevent humans from transmitting the virus to animals.
"It is better to maintain safe distance even from pet dogs and cats till the pandemic ends. In case they show any symptoms, it is better to get them tested" he said.
The four labs dedicated to diagnosing COVID-19 in animals are currently testing animal samples sent by wildlife, forest and zoo authorities. A testing method for pets is yet to be developed.
